So you’ve made it! After working hard to get your place in the best Vet school in Poland (by Perspektywy ranking) you can finally see your future beginning to form. So what should you expect from your first real day of many, many ahead studying veterinary?! Your first day will be filled with nervous energy and excitement.You may not know a lot of people in your course but that will all change very quickly.
Of course at the start things will be awkward… when are these situations not? So the best piece of advice I can give you is to just jump in and make that first encounter. Trust me when I did, I saw that everyone is in the same position. In many respects studying abroad, studying veterinary in Poland, is the same as starting a new university course at home.
After that first week of introductions you’ll be glad to hear it all gets easier. In my experience, the first ever class I had as a Veterinary Medicine student was “Anatomy of Animals”. Our professor is amazing! He seems to know everything about the anatomy of every animal! Of course, the first ever lecture was scary! We were all so lost as Latin words seemed to fly around the room like something from a Hitchcock movie. This is totally normal and the best way to get used to hearing these words – trust me. As they say, repetition is key. Don’t worry about taking down absolutely everything you hear… it’s impossible. Just try your best and don’t worry about spelling in the beginning. Your best friend in Anatomy class will be your Anatomy book. If your professor is alright about it as well, during practicals and dissections you can ask if it is OK to record certain sections on your phone. If your professor is not OK with this, respect their decision. If he / she is OK with recording, I would suggest for just one person to record and then send it on to the rest of the class. It may seem obvious but it’s important to be prepared for some bad smells and graphic scenes as you are examining the internal anatomy of animals. If you ever feel faint or light headed be sure to tell a classmate or your professor and they will have no problem with you sitting it out and helping you feel back to normal. The anatomy course is carried out over the first 2 semesters.
A selection of sample bones in the anatomy practical lab. Typically, bone morphology is the first subject studied in Anatomy.
The year consists of 2 semesters with 11 subjects in each semester. It might sound like a lot - but it is manageable! In the first semester, the winter semester, there are 4 “core” subjects which you are required to pass in order to progress to the next year. They are also called pre-requisites or sequence subjects in the Wroclaw vet school. These include Anatomy of Animals I, Cell Biology, Chemistry and Histology and Embryology I. In semester 2, the summer semester, the core subjects are Anatomy of Animals II, Biochemistry and Histology and Embryology II, the basics of Veterinary Medicine. The rest of the subject choices include; Environmental Protection, Biology, Biostatistics, Agronomy, Veterinary genetics and Veterinary history and deontology.
The next subject we were introduced to was Veterinary Economy, which I found really interesting as it makes you think about the Vet industry as a consumer and as a Veterinary professional. Our professor is very aware and was involved with the Polish Veterinary Board in previous years. We also had the same professor for Professional Ethics in semester 2, which of course is also a massive part of Veterinary health and welfare for both the animals and the professionals involved. It really makes you think about different scenarios in your potential future career as a Vet, no matter what area or country you decide to venture into. In my opinion, they are very important subjects as they open your mind to very personal and important discussions you will be faced with throughout your life as a Vet.
With every subject in any college course, you need to put a lot of time, energy and extracurricular work into them. There are of course some subjects in any course which require much extra work compared to others. In Veterinary, of course these change from year to year and depend on each individual. One student may excel at Biochemistry and not need any extra help with it but struggle with genetics. No one is going to be perfect at every subject, so accept this and never compare yourself to others in your class. I can’t stress enough how important it is to just ask for help no matter what you’re struggling with. Over the past 2-3 years most classes found Biophysics and Biochemistry quite difficult, so really immerse yourself in these core subjects when your time comes. Luckily, there was a lot of help from professors, lab technicians and past students to help us through them!
Along with the main science and Veterinary subjects, we also take a language each semester. In the winter we take Latin, like every medical course, to help us with medical terms etc. In the summer we take Polish, to help us with day to day life in the new city! Learning these languages are vital to keeping up in classes like anatomy and the biology based courses.
The university swimming pool where swimming lessons, aqua aerobics etc. take place. Located right beside “Raj” student dorms in Biskupin.
We also participate in social science, IT, ergonomics and sport classes. The most interesting for most students are the sports options we have. You can choose between: swimming, aqua aerobics, basketball, volleyball, body workout, hiking, athletics, football… the list is endless. Chess can even be found on the list! There is also a school sports day where students from all disciplines are invited to take part in sports events on Biskupin campus (keep an eye on our social media for more information and pictures!).
